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Southerners saw manifest destiny as
南方人視天定命運為
a wonderful opportunity to ensure the continued
一個出色機會確保
growth of their cotton economy,
其棉花經濟持續發展
otherwise known as king cotton.
或者是保持其棉花王的地位
In short, manifest destiny seemed to
總之，天定命運似乎
have something to offer for every American.
對每個美國人都有好處
Napoleon of the stump.
樹樁的拿破侖
In 1844 James K. Polk became America's
1844年，詹姆斯·K.波爾克成為
youngest president yet at age 49.
美國最年輕的總統，時年49歲
Polk campaigned for the presidency on
波爾克競選總統
a four point platform; annex the Oregon Territory,
基于四項宣言，兼并俄勒岡領地
annex Mexico's North American Territory,
兼并墨西哥北美領地
establish an independent treasury and reduce
建立獨立國庫
crippling tariffs. Polk believed that lower tariffs,
減少嚴重不利的關稅，波爾克相信更低關稅
that is to say a tax set on foreign goods,
也就是對外國商品收的稅
would benefit everybody by stimulating
會刺激經濟，將使每個人受益
the economy. If foreign trade picked up,
如果對外貿易好轉
tax revenues would jump and so would
稅收就會提升
the American public's buying power.
美國公眾的購買力也會提高
Polk's instrument was the Walker Tariff
波爾克的工具就是沃克關稅
which was based not on an important product's
那不是基于某終于商品的價值
value but rather equally put on all goods.
而是平均分配在所有商品上
Even the northerners who liked the previous
就連喜歡先前將過多額外錢關稅體系
tariff system which put exorbitant amounts of
投入這些東西中的北方人
added money on these things had to acknowledge
都不得不承認
that the Walker Tariff actually worked
沃克關稅實際
as Polk had intended. In fact the Walker Tariff
如波爾克意圖的那樣起作用了，事實上
also gave the US Treasury more than enough money
沃克關稅也給美國國庫足夠的錢
to pursue Polk's expansionist foreign policy.
來追尋波爾克的擴張主義對外政策
President Polk's first policy goal was to
波爾克總統的首要政策目標是
obtain a settlement of the Oregon Territory.
在俄勒岡領地定居
Despite Louis and Clark's efforts the territory
盡管路易斯和克拉克做出了努力
was still under explored. Land hungry
但那片領地仍待開發，地荒
American squatters were moving north of the 49th
美國寮屋居民越過北緯49度
parallel which had for a long time
那條線長時間來
been the working boundary.
都是采區邊界
This prompted the expansionist war cry 54-40
這促發了擴張政治口號54-40
or fight. But neither the United States nor Britain
或斗爭，但美國和英國
was interested in fighting over Oregon
都對爭奪俄勒岡不感興趣
when they got on so well in all other respects.
他們在所有其它方面進行得如此順利
The 1846 Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel
1846年俄勒岡條約將北緯49°
as a permanent boundary between the United States
確定為美國
and what is now Canada. With the nation's
和現在加拿大的永久邊界
northern boundary stabilized for good Polk was
穩定北方邊界對波爾克有利
free to look south. Even though the Mexican Republic
他可以自由朝南看，盡管墨西哥共和國
had openly emulated and idolized the United States
從一建立時就公開仿效和崇拜美國
since it started, US-Mexican relations had been
但美西關系緊張有10年之久
strained for a decade by the time Polk came to office.
直到波爾克上任
Hungry as ever for new lands American settlers
新土地上的美國定居者依舊忍受著饑荒
had started moving into the northeast
他們開始移入
Mexican states of Coahuila and Tejas.
墨西哥東北方州科阿韋拉州和光輝州
Welcomed at first the settlers soon wore out
定居者開始受到歡迎
their welcome by openly calling for union
但那很快消失不見，因為他們公開
with the United States. In 1836 settlers
宣揚要與美國合并 1836年
seceded from Mexico and declared
定居者從墨西哥脫離
what they call the Republic of Texas.
公然宣布德克薩斯共和國成立
The Texans were defeated at the Alamo but their later
德克薩斯人在阿拉莫戰爭被擊敗，但他們之后
victory at San Jacinto established a nation;
在圣哈辛托的勝利使其建立了一個國家
Texas which still openly wanted to
德克薩斯仍公開想要
join the United States. In 1845 President Polk
加入美國 1845年，波爾克總統
quite happily saw to it that the Republic of Texas
十分高興看到，德克薩斯共和國
became an American state.
成為了美國的一個州
